Have you been briefed yet? In October we went to Claverham Village Hall to watch the 50 minute documentary film about the climate and nature crisis. The film is introduced by Chris Packham but it’s not cuddly viewing time. It’s about presenting ordinary people in their own communities and workplaces with the facts about the risks facing the UK.
The People’s Emergency Briefing sets out to do what its name suggests: brief us on the emergency. It presents evidence from leading scientists and others. They explore the risks of extreme weather, food security, health and the economy. They present various tipping points and it is a bleak watch.
I found one of the most compelling parts of the film was the candid reactions of other everyday folk like me. Since April tens of thousands have attended a community-led screening. It hasn’t all been preaching to the converted. What can we do?
The film asks at the end that we should all engage our politicians and encourage them to call for a national televised emergency briefing. I am not quite sure that putting it on the telly will make much difference to be honest as the Net Zero 2050 policy set by government is woefully inadequate to make an impact. However, not much can help us unless both local and national government begin to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation we are in. The Gulf Stream is weakening. If it shifts too far crop growing could become impossible in the UK.
At last we see some recognition that we depend totally on nature. It’s not just an add-on to our busy lives, an antidote to the stress. It’s not a quality of life issue, it is fundamental to our existence and its destruction will lead to societal collapse. As Tessa Munt MP put it to us when she came to celebrate YACWAG’s purchase of more land on Congresbury Moor earlier this year, “To produce food, farmers need nature and nature needs farmers.” Tessa has already viewed the film and is encouraging other MPs to watch it and call for a National Emergency Briefing, just as we would have in a time of war.
How can YACWAGgers face such a big challenge? We need to fight for what we love. For us it’s not just theoretical, we know what it is to marvel at a moth caught in a spider’s web, to feel the peace of the woodland calming us. Nature must continue and our little nuggets of land can help sustain and support it into the future. That is our hope and our action. Get stuck in with us and make a difference.
I don’t think the film goes nearly far enough at the end. We must reject the current climate policy and press the government to be honest with people about the risks we face. I think there is far too much ‘business as usual’ when it is clear that our present affluent high-carbon lifestyles are unsustainable. Any small action is better than none. If we can reduce temperatures by even a quarter of a degree that could avert catastrophe in our lifetimes.
There will continue to be People’s Emergency Briefing showings in the area. If you haven’t been to one I highly recommend it. We all need to be informed and prepared. However, I don’t agree that pressing the government for a TV programme can be the right outcome. Nothing less than radical change will do. We either ease ourselves into it gradually, or be certain, future circumstances will give us no choice but to change.
“We want emergency action on climate and nature. When do we want it? Now.”
Written by Faith Moulin, October 2026
